Astals are a powerful humanoid race native to Humel.
They are one of the most unusual intelligent races in the world because they are born with absolutely no Mana.
Despite this apparent disadvantage, Astals possess extraordinary natural physical strength and carry a unique energy later identified as Anti-Mana.
Overview
Astals are humanoids characterized by their reddish skin, powerful muscular bodies, large canine teeth, and claw-like nails.
Their greatest biological peculiarity is the complete absence of Mana.
Unlike nearly all other living races, Astals do not possess even a trace amount of Mana within their bodies.
This caused them to be regarded as deeply unnatural by Human societies in the original timeline.
Appearance
Astals possess a fundamentally humanoid body structure.
Both males and females are naturally robust and heavily muscular.
Their most distinctive visible characteristic is their reddish skin.
They also possess unusually large upper and lower canine teeth and naturally long, thick, sharp nails that resemble claws.
Male Astals
Male Astals generally possess massive and heavily developed physiques.
Their shoulders, arms, torso, and legs are naturally powerful even without supernatural reinforcement.
Their facial structure tends to appear more rugged and imposing than that of Humans.
Female Astals
Female Astals retain more Human-like facial features while still possessing the extraordinary muscular development characteristic of the race.
Their claws and enlarged canine teeth remain clearly visible racial traits.
Natural Physical Strength
Astals possess exceptional natural physical strength.
This power does not originate from Mana, Aura, or any other supernatural reinforcement.
Their bodies are naturally far stronger than those of ordinary Humans.
Astals can even surpass physically powerful races such as Bararos and Semi-Giants in raw natural strength.
This extraordinary physical foundation allowed them to resist their enemies even during the period when they had no known method of using Anti-Mana.
Absence of Mana
Astals are completely incapable of using Mana because their bodies naturally contain none.
This is not a case of poor Mana talent, damaged Mana channels, or an unusually low Mana capacity.
They simply possess no Mana at all.
As a result, conventional Mana Cultivation is inaccessible to them.
Human Persecution
In the original timeline, Humans reacted extremely negatively to the existence of a race completely lacking Mana.
To many of them, the Astals' very existence was considered an offense against what they believed to be the natural order of the world.
Astals were branded as a heretical race and were hunted with the intent of extermination.
Unlike many conquered races, they were not primarily targeted for enslavement.
Their enemies sought to eliminate them entirely.
Resistance
The extermination of the Astals was not an easy process.
Their extraordinary physical strength allowed them to fight back despite their inability to use Mana.
Even without access to a developed supernatural combat system, they were capable of presenting serious resistance to their persecutors.
Astal Lineage
In the original timeline, a Human eventually appeared who carried Astal Lineage.
This inherited lineage caused the individual to share one of the race's most important characteristics:
the inability to use Mana.
Unable to follow Mana Cultivation, the individual eventually turned toward Aura Cultivation.
Discovery of Anti-Mana
While cultivating Aura, the Human with Astal Lineage eventually discovered that another energy existed within the inherited lineage.
This energy could not normally be manifested on its own.
However, it could be combined with or infused into Aura.
The resulting Aura became extraordinarily dangerous to Mana-based power.
This energy was later named Anti-Mana.
Anti-Mana
Anti-Mana is a unique energy associated with Astal biology and lineage.
It is not Mana and is not an element within the Mana Cultivation system.
Astals themselves possess no Mana.
Anti-Mana also cannot normally be projected or consciously used by an Astal without an appropriate medium.
Before the discovery involving Aura, the Astal race had no practical method of manifesting this power.
Relationship with Aura
Aura provides the method necessary for Astals to make practical use of Anti-Mana.
By cultivating Aura, an Astal can use it as a medium for their Anti-Mana.
The Anti-Mana can then be infused into the user's Aura, producing a form of power that is particularly dangerous to Mana-based opponents.
In simplified terms:
Astal → Aura Cultivation → Anti-Mana-infused Aura
Difference from Mana Elements
Anti-Mana should not be confused with elemental Mana.
Elements such as Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Lightning, Blood, and others remain expressions of Mana.
Anti-Mana exists outside that elemental structure because the Astals themselves do not possess Mana.
César's Knowledge
César possesses knowledge of the original timeline and therefore knows what the Astal race can eventually become.
While others may view their inability to use Mana as a weakness, César understands the strategic importance of their hidden Anti-Mana potential.
This makes the Astals extremely valuable potential allies in his plans.
César and Aura Cultivation
César later teaches the Astals the system of Aura Cultivation that he has developed and refined.
This gives the race something it lacked in the original timeline: a systematic method of cultivating a supernatural power compatible with their biology.
More importantly, Aura gives them a practical way to manifest the Anti-Mana that had always existed within their race.
Strategic Importance
Astals are particularly dangerous to civilizations and combatants that depend heavily on Mana.
Their natural physical strength already makes them formidable before cultivation.
Once they gain access to Aura and learn to imbue it with Anti-Mana, their natural disadvantages against Mana users can become a powerful advantage.
Astals and Semi-Giants
Astals were already native to Humel before the arrival of the Semi-Giants.
The two races therefore have completely different origins despite later sharing the same continent.
Semi-Giants originate from Human and Giant ancestry, while Astals are an independent native race of Humel.
Common Misconceptions
“Astals simply have very little Mana.”
Incorrect.
Astals possess no Mana at all.
“Anti-Mana is a Mana element.”
Incorrect.
Anti-Mana is separate from Mana and does not belong to Mana's elemental system.
“Astals could always use Anti-Mana.”
Incorrect.
The energy existed within their race, but they had no known method of manifesting it.
Aura later became the medium through which Anti-Mana could be used.
“Astals are physically weak because they lack Mana.”
Incorrect.
Their natural physical strength is extraordinary even without any supernatural reinforcement.
“Astals and Semi-Giants are related.”
Incorrect.
They are separate races with completely different origins.
General Traits
- Astals are native to Humel.
- They possess reddish skin.
- They have naturally powerful and muscular bodies.
- They possess large upper and lower canine teeth.
- Their nails are naturally long, thick, and claw-like.
- They possess absolutely no Mana.
- They cannot follow conventional Mana Cultivation.
- Their natural physical strength can surpass that of Humans, Bararos, and Semi-Giants.
- Their race carries the energy later called Anti-Mana.
- Anti-Mana cannot normally be manifested independently.
- Aura can be used as the medium for manifesting Anti-Mana.
- Anti-Mana-infused Aura is especially dangerous to Mana-based power.
Original Timeline
In the original timeline known to César, the Astals were persecuted by Humans because of their complete absence of Mana.
They were branded as heretical and hunted toward extinction.
Much later, a Human carrying Astal Lineage discovered the relationship between Aura and Anti-Mana.
This discovery revealed the potential that the Astal race had possessed all along.
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